Pressure on Europe to act against Islamic State

European leaders face calls to take direct action against the Islamic State, including in Syria, after the beheading of US journalist James Foley, but politicians are reluctant to take the lead after previous missteps in the region.

The release of a video this week showing Foley’s beheading by a black-clad Islamic State (IS) militant with a British accent has emerged as a possible game -changer in the fight against the jihadist group.

US authorities warn that IS poses the greatest threat in years with its “apocalyptic” vision, and a YouGov poll published in Britain yesterday showed support for joining US air strikes against the militants in Iraq rising six points to 43%.